This is a very interesting.
This is my first visit for about six weeks but before that I've been away for so long I totally missed the site crash.
I've been a member since 2002 and I agree those were the days, lots of info and laughs to be had.
My major reason for visiting less was when I would log on and browse through new posts and they would be 80% some one selling gear, breammaster went from a forum to ebay for fishing gear.
I admit I did get one or two deals on some lures but it just became ridiculous the amount of "for sale" posts. In connection with this was the amount of my gear is better than your gear slanging matches that was also a big turn off.
I think it was a mistake to include a classifieds section in the forum I would be interested to know how or why it was allowed.

In all honesty the gear trading section was a big positive to the forum for me and I don't think it really related to the death of the forum.

I think that the forum (like most) was struggling a bit with Facebook groups etc. and was pushed over the edge with reliability issues.

Tackle Tour seems to have a more of a "engaged / committed" patronage and willing to discuss topics more openly than on BM - not sure whats going on here but its averge in comparison.

The weather here has been pretty wet all weekend, I put up a few posts and it took me a while to do so, not like pictures just miraculously appear and post construct themselves - the outcome 2 comments and a sh*t tonne of views. I'm not asking for praises from anyone just engagement of some sort, BM in the past yeh couldn't go wrong with active in tune engaging conversation.

Have a feeling opening a blog page would be more proactive after this weekend efforts.

Well for me I have been diagnosed with cancer twice so had to sell everything I owned, just getting back into it now and deffinetly agree it's not what it was a afew years ago ! can only see afew parts of the forum too ?

There was an issue for me where BM would not pass the security of my work computer and I could not open the site as all.
Now using a different company's work computer I'm unable to post comments in "forums" but am able to view the site which may explain some threads where there's plenty of views with no comments.

I stopped coming out of frustration. There use to be monthly reports of BREAM with by catch whilst breaming which was great. All of a sudden the reports were filled with reports of every fish and hardly any bream?

I also think there was a time when breaming was a massive craze. I think alot of breamers (except the hardcore) have moved on to other species with better success after learning from breaming.

I stopped coming out of frustration. There use to be monthly reports of BREAM with by catch whilst breaming which was great. All of a sudden the reports were filled with reports of every fish and hardly any bream?

I also think there was a time when breaming was a massive craze. I think alot of breamers (except the hardcore) have moved on to other species with better success after learning from breaming.

Interesting read here. I stumbled back into the site following a boat building link. Breammaster forums were originally started to give the emerging tournament fishers a place to hang out and communicate. We also had a pretty active online store which was started in May 2002, the forums followed later in the year. This was well before Facebook, which is where the majority of conversation happens now that I can see.

I'm glad to see the site still active, even if traffic has reduced. It should always be a great resource for those coming into the sport, and wanting to get some tips.

Quite funny to think the hot gear back then was Crappy Spiders, Sliders, Halco Scorpion 35's etc. etc. I still remember help kicking Ecogear off in Australia way back when.

To this point I have found this thread a very interesting read. My simple understanding of what it means to die is that one no longer breathes ... but I do not see this is the case for the BM site. It continues to breathe just differently. It may not be as frenetic as it has been in the past but it certainly continues to live. It has been a compendium of bream fishing wealth for me and is the first place I go to when needing information. It would be a shame to loose all the years of information that it holds. The site is not all things to everybody nor does it need to be. Just to those anglers that are still drawn to chasing the wiley bream and need a forum to share experiences and knowledge. Just my little bit. Regards, HBt.